[No  53 — Second  Series— 2500.] 


Indian  Rights  Association, 

1305  Arch  Street, 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

January,  1900. 

THE  URGENT  NEED  OF  NEW  LEGISLATION  TO 
PROTECT  THE  TIMBER  INTERESTS  OF  THE 
CHIPPEWA  INDIANS  IN  MINNESOTA. 

During  the  winter  of  1898  and  1899  deeP  interest  was  man¬ 
ifested  in  the  outcome  of  efforts  to  relieve  the  oppression  and 
wrong  to  which  the  Chippewa  Indians  of  Minnesota  had  been 
subjected  since  the  passage  of  the  act  of  January  14,  1889, 
providing  for  the  “  relief  and  civilization  of  the  Chippewa 
Indians  of  the  State  of  Minnesota.”  Contrary  to  the  apparent 
intention  of  the  measure,  it  proved  to  be,  under  the  manipulation 
of  politicians,  an  act  for  the  robbery  of  the  Chippewas.  This 
culminated  during  the  autumn  of  1898  in  an  attack  made  by 
the  Indians  upon  the  soldiery  who  were  preparing  to  enforce 
compliance  with  the  order  of  a  Minnesota  court  to  effect  the 
arrest  of  certain  Indians  who  had  been  goaded  to  desperation 
through  oppression. 

The  friends  of  the  Indians  were  rallied  during  the  past 
winter  in  support  of  legislation  to  remedy  the  evils  of  existing 
law.  It  being  the  short  session  of  Congress,  a  general  act  could 
not  be  secured  for  want  of  time;  but  efforts  put  forth  succeeded 
in  securing  the  enactment  of  the  following  statute,  which  was 
incorporated  in  the  Indian  Appropriation  act : 

“  The  Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  hereby  authorized  and 
directed  to  cause  an  investigation  by  an  Indian  inspector  and  a 
special  Indian  agent  of  the  alleged  cutting  of  green  timber  under 
contracts  for  cutting  ‘  dead  and  down,’  on  the  Chippewa  ceded 
and  diminished  reservations  in  the  State  of  Minnesota,  and  also 
whether  the  present  plan  of  estimating  and  examining  timber  on 
said  lands  and  sale  thereof  is  the  best  that  can  be  devised  for 
protection  of  the  interests  of  said  Indians ;  and  also  in  his  dis- 


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cretion  to  suspend  the  further  estimating,  appraising,  examining, 
and  cutting  of  timber  and  the  sale  of  the  same,  and  also  sus¬ 
pend  the  sale  of  the  lands  in  said  reservation.” 

The  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  under  the  authority  given 
him,  suspended  the  further  cutting  of  “  dead  and  down  ”  tim¬ 
ber,  canceled  all  orders  looking  toward  the  sale  of  the  lands 
the  timber  upon  which  had  been  estimated,  and  discharged 
many  of  the  employees  who  had  been  engaged  in  “  estimating” 
the  timber  for  years,  and  otherwise  reduced  the  expenses  charge¬ 
able  to  the  Indians’  fund. 

Two  capable  officers  were  designated  to  make  the  investi¬ 
gation  authorized  by  said  act,  and  spent  over  three  months  in 
their  work.  The  first  attention  of  these  officers  was  given  to 
the  cut  of  “dead  and  down  ”  timber,  which  system  had  proved 
to  be  so  conducive  to  fraud, — over  $266,000  of  tribal  funds 
having  been  expended  in  paying  the  salaries  of  these  “estima¬ 
tors,”  as  compiled  two  months  before  the  work  was  suspended. 
By  prompt  action  before  the  cut  was  removed  from  the  landings 
it  was  discovered  that  a  large  per  cent,  of  green  timber  had  been 
included  under  cover  of  “dead  and  down,”  and  the  sum  of 
$55>7°°  was  collected  in  cash,  and  an  estimated  value  of  logs 
not  yet  settled  for  of  $2000.  These  collections  were  in  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  regular  prices  agreed  to  be  paid  for  the  timber,  on  a 
very  conservate  estimate  of  its  value.  This  effected  a  saving  to 
the  Indians  on  a  portion  of  one  season’s  cut  of  “  dead  and 
down  ”  timber. 

The  investigators  found  the  system  of  selling  the  pine  timber 
upon  “estimates  ”  altogether  impracticable.  It  is  highly  suscep¬ 
tible  to  fraud,  and  is  not  used  by  the  successful  timber  men  of 
the  pine  belt.  Likewise  the  “  dead  and  down  ”  timber  law  was 
found  to  be  used  in  defrauding  the  Indians  and  that  they  enjoyed 
but  slight  benefit  compared  with  the  value  of  timber  taken. 

The  action  of  the  Secretary  in  suspending  the  sale  of  the 
pine,  and  discharging  useless  employees  formerly  engaged  in 
the  work,  evidently  has  not  pleased  the  politicians  of  Minnesota, 
and  we  find  Senator  Nelson,  of  that  State  (the  author  of  the 
present  law  for  the  civilization  of  the  Chippewas,  of  January 
14,  1889),  arrayed  in  opposition  to  his  action.  The  Senator 


MAR  1  0  2000 


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has  introduced  a  bill  in  the  body  of  which  he  is  a  member 
providing  for  the  repeal  of  the  clause  authorizing  the  Secretary 
to  suspend  the  further  estimating  and  sale  of  the  pine  and  the 
“  dead  and  down”  timber  act.  Another  bill  of  the  Senator’s 
seeks  to  continue  the  Chippewa  Commission  that  has  already 
cost  the  tribe  over  $225,000. 

Several  of  the  discharged  employees  have  already  hurried 
to  the  National  Capital,  hoping,  no  doubt,  through  political 
influence  to  secure  a  continuance  of  the  positions.  The  power¬ 
ful  lumber  firms  and  other  interests  of  Minnesota  are  pressing 
for  the  repeal  of  the  authority  given  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
under  which  he  suspended  the  further  estimating  and  sale  of  the 
timber. 

The  Indian  delegation  that  visited  Washington  the  past 
winter  were  content  with  what  was  secured  in  the  way  of  legis¬ 
lation,  feeling  that  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  Hon. 
W.  A.  Jones,  who  has  always  been  friendly  to  their  interests, 
and  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  would  see  to  it  that  a  careful 
investigation  was  had  under  the  law. 

While  the  Chippewas  have  no  immediate  cause  to  complain 
of  the  present  management  of  their  interests,  it  should  be 
remembered  that  the  law  under  which  such  grievous  wrongs 
have  been  committed  upon  the  tribe  in  the  past  is  only  suspended 
by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  and  could  at  any  time  be  made 
operative  by  withdrawing  the  order  of  suspension,  which  may 
be  done  under  the  succeeding  administration  of  that  office. 

It  is  highly  important  that  new  legislation  should  be  secured 
to  supplant  the  existing  statute  at  as  early  a  date  as  possible. 
This  should  provide : 

(, a )  For  the  abolition  of  the  Chippewa  Commission. 

(J?)  That  all  timber  shall  be  measured  after  it  has  been  cut 
by  what  is  known  as  the  “  Bank  Scale  ”  system. 

(f)  For  the  adoption  of  a  combination  plan  for  the  dis¬ 
posal  of  the  logs  similar  to  that  carried  on  at  La  Pointe  and 
Menominee,  Wisconsin. 

( d )  For  the  erection  of  saw  mills  wherever  practicable  for 
the  manufacture  of  lumber.  These  should  be  operated  almost 
entirely  by  the  Indians. 


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(e)  For  the  adoption  of  the  Menominee  plan  of  cutting 
and  banking  logs  in  isolated  districts. 

We  solicit  your  interest  in  the  cause  at  this  juncture,  hoping 
that  you  will  do  all  possible  to  arouse  public  attention  to  the 
need  of  such  legislation  as  herein  outlined  in  the  interests  of  the 
Chippewas  of  Minnesota.  Letters  should  be  sent  to  Hon. 
John  M.  Thurston,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Indian 
Affairs,  United  States  Senate;  Hon.  James  S.  Sherman,  Chair¬ 
man  of  the  Committee  on  Indian  Affairs,  House  of  Representa¬ 
tives,  in  addition  to  the  Senator  and  Representative  from  your 
district  in  Congress.  The  press  can  render  valuable  aid  by  let¬ 
ting  the  facts  be  known  and  by  recommending  the  action  sug¬ 
gested. 

HERBERT  WELSH, 

Corresponding  Secretary. 

S.  M.  BROSIUS, 

Washington  Agent. 


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